The John Palifox Key Mystery/Hoax Part 2

A central figure emerged throughout most of the posts on about.com that went by the handle FERABO. This personality was unassuming at first and like most message posters went on at great lengths about how his opinions were nothing short of god’s law and should be taken as such. If there is one thing the internet has taught me is that there is a virtual smorgasboard of undiscovered geniuses out there that can literally change our lives if only we listen to them unquestioningly. Ferabo was no exception: a smart guy who wanted everyone to know it.

The about.com forum posts that went well into the thousands surrounding the subject detailed one woman’s account while driving on a business trip that took her directly into the “JPK Zone”. According to her story, while driving she was suddenly thrust into another reality where she witnessed small lizard-like and gnome-like beings carrying or “farming” these weird fruits with sharp geometric structures or possibly large D20 D&D dice, which would explain a lot. These misplaced LARPers were aware of her presence but didn’t seem to be entirely impressed with it, going about their business. Fortunately for her and their roll of increased strength and indifference to interdimensional traveling salesmen, she popped back into her own dimension. Distraught over her little blip into Oz, the forum poster went on to ask for anyone who had similar accounts or any advice to her her a holla. Enter John Palifox Key, Proofs of My Return and Ferabo..

ApacheUnger’s (the experiencer’s monicker) original post was simply her cry for help over her episode in rural Michigan: a harrowing tale of midgets and strange fruit north of the Motor City; the stuff most harrowing tales are made of. The book however changes all of that when it is introduced adding yet another layer to the story and injecting the first dose of “pre-existing mythology”. Now we have an anchor. This anchor not only dropped with a resounding thud in the forefront of the casual forum poster’s imagination, it carried them down into the very murky depths of obsession.

But, in true Highlander fashion, “Kurgan!!!”…er….”there can be only one!!!” and Ferabo stepped up to the plate. Ferabo, who would later become known as Joel or Joey painted himself a patriot and veteran that had a wealth of experience traveling the world on Uncle Sam’s dime. He talked of foreign conflicts and American history with a grizzled zeal and confidence that gave his every post an air of legitimacy, albeit tinged with arrogance. The persona of Leguay grew and soon he became the archetypal hero of the about.com forum, taking a personal quest to investigate the mystery himself. Now mind you, Leguay had a cast of supporting characters: the distraught accidental daytripper taking her place now sidestage as well as others, all questing for the ultimate truth to the JPK enigma. It was involving and the posts were frequent enough that the casual reader felt that they were watching a Dickensian paranormal epic unfold... (continued in part 3)